Stephen Colbert Asks Anderson Cooper How Corey Lewandowski Works For CNN While Still Getting Trump Money

Anderson Cooper visited The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, presumably to chat about the latest campaign pivot of Colbert’s favorite subject – Donald Trump – and the upcoming presidential debates. Colbert noted that Cooper just wrapped a long sit-down with Trump’s new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and previously interviewed Trump’s second campaign chief Paul Manafort. Cooper’s the one who brought up Trump’s first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski who, Colbert noted, now works at CNN.

Lewandowski got sacked from Team Trump in June and, almost immediately, was signed by CNN, which raised some eyebrows for various reasons, not the least of which was Lewandowski’s penchant for treating female journalists with less respect than could be wished for.

“So he works for you guys. Does he still get any money from the Trump people at the same time?” Colbert dumb-played.

“So y’all are paying him and Trump is paying him, but he’s on your show doing analysis for a man he still gets cash from?” Colbert said, giving his audience one little peek at the cable-news sausage factory.

“Pretty much. Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it, ” Cooper responded, still cautious.

“And you still respect his opinion too?” Colbert faux-wondered, as his studio audience tittered.

Cooper explained CNN has people from both campaigns appear regularly on its air to talk about the presidential race, but stopped short of detailing who is getting paid what, and by whom.